A Certain Point of View
by StarWarrior72
Summary: In which Luke is forced to change his own point of view on a subject he would rather let wither and die in the back of his brain.


"No!" Luke shouted, "No, no, no, no!"

The door slammed and Padmé flinched. Anakin looked up at her from the project he was working on as she sat up straighter and called in the general direction of the door.

"Luke, stop slamming doors! You're strong enough that you might break the glass now!"

Luke dashed into the kitchen, throwing his backpack down on the table, "But Mom-!"

Padmé glared at him with enough intensity that Luke looked away, ashamed. He quickly recovered.

"Mom, he wants me to join the cheerleading squad!"

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yeah!"

Padmé returned to her tea, "Coping with Obi-Wan is your dad's business. Talk to him."

"Dad, Obi-Wan said I have to join the cheerleading squad!" Luke shrieked.

"Run."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Anakin!" Padmé snarled, putting her drink down.

"I thought you'd be angrier if I suggested aggressive negotiations."

Padmé sighed, "Anakin, give him genuine advice."

Anakin shrugged at his son, smiling jokingly, "It sounded like good advice to me."

Luke didn't smile even a little bit, "Dad! I will _die_ before I'll do that! You've gotta help me!"

Anakin put joking aside, "Come on, Luke. You have to get back to school. What are you doing out of class anyway?"

"He found me at break! You can't take me back to school!" Luke grabbed his father's shoulders and burst into tears, "You just can't!"

Anakin stood up and put his arms around his son, "It's all right, Luke. Everything's going to be okay."

"Are you kidding? Do you _remember _what happened when I accidentally took Leia's notebook to class and that note from Yates fell out? I thought I'd never hear the end of it! Please, it's Friday, and I only have one more class today. I can catch up on Monday, please don't make me go back!"

"Luke."

"Dad!"

"I'll take you back to school."

"There won't be more than twenty minutes left in class by the time we get back!"

"Come on," Anakin picked his son's backpack up off the table and led the way. Luke trailed him, seeming slightly defeated.

"Please, Dad. Can't you convince him not to make me do this?"

"I don't know. I'll do my best, but Obi-Wan can be quite decided about things."

Luke moaned, and Anakin put one arm around him.

"They'll all forget about it eventually."

"Yeah, eventually. Eventually we'll all be dead."

"I know kids can remember mistakes for a long time, but I don't think you'll have to wait for them all to die."

"_Why_ does he think this is a good idea? What part of dying of embarrassment does he think is going to make me a better Jedi?"

"Well, maybe he hopes you'll learn humility? And besides, there's a lot of jumping around, from what I've heard. Maybe he thinks it's just good physical practice."

"I guess."

"It won't be so bad. Just take a deep breath and force yourself to go."

"I can't believe he wants me to die of embarrassment."

"That's because he doesn't. Chin up, Luke," Anakin directed, getting into the speeder. Slowly, like each movement caused him great pain, Luke climbed into the passenger side.

"Why bother?"

"How about this, if cheerleading is absolute torture, we can make Obi-Wan agree to do something humiliating to make up for it. Something absolutely ridiculous. He'll agree if he sees that it's really hurt you."

"I guess," Luke sighed, "I still wish the Jedi would let _you_ teach me."

"They're making an exception just letting us interact, never mind live together. You'd be best to let them do this to you. Trust me, I know how it feels for them to stand over too much of your life. But I'm here to help you with all of that, all right? I can teach you which council members won't kill you for asking for help. If cheerleading is too soul crushing to bear, we can work out something with Obi-Wan, I promise."

Luke sighed once more and climbed out of the ship, taking his backpack and slinging it gloomily over one shoulder.

"I'll walk you to class if you like," Anakin offered.

Luke shrugged, still moping.

"I could chain you to your desk. It'd be a good excuse not to go to cheerleading. We could say someone got a head start on mocking you."

Luke seemed to brighten, "That sounds like a good idea!"

"I was only kidding, Luke. I'm not chaining you to a desk."

They arrived at Luke's classroom and Anakin looked in the window on the door.

"There's no-one in here."

Luke looked confused, but not exactly upset, "Huh, that's weird. Maybe we should just go home and try again on Monday. Or maybe after that, you never know. Maybe they went somewhere for a fieldtrip. Let's go home, Dad."

"No, Luke. Nice try, but we're going to find your class."

"Maybe they've all gotten sick and had to go home. Maybe we shouldn't go in there, just to be safe."

"Luke."

Luke sighed. Anakin opened the door and led Luke inside.

"Look, there's a note on the teacher's desk," Anakin said.

"Great. Does it say that the school was evacuated because of a gas leak or anything?"

"It says that class has gone outside to find things to look at under a microscope."

"Oh. I guess you're going to drag me outside to find them?"

"Yes. Come on."

Luke followed, head bent.

Anakin led his son outside towards where he could sense the presences of Luke's classmates. Luke started suddenly.

"Did you hear that? I think someone called my name."

"From where?"

"Back there," Luke said earnestly, pointing back towards the school.

"Stop being ridiculous, you have to go to class, and then cheerleading afterwards."

"But I really did!"

"Luke. The less of a fuss you put up, the fewer people will notice."

"I guess," Luke sighed.

As they approached, Luke's teacher began to lead the other students back up to the school.

"Great," Luke mumbled, "Now I can't hope they won't notice I was gone."

Anakin approached Luke's teacher, "He forgot something. Sorry he missed most of the class."

The teacher shrugged and turned to the students, "We spent it looking for things to view under a microscope. Does anyone have enough items to share with Luke?"

Luke had slunk silently over to his friends. They all raised their hands, and it was rapidly decided that they would share the items they'd found.

The teacher invited Anakin to walk back inside with them, and he returned to his son's side. Luke's friends were sharing their found items, largely leaves and twigs, but a couple had found some bugs in addition, and one had harvested a fungus.

Luke seemed to finally be calming down, but as they neared the school, his head flicked up, staring towards the school.

"There it is again, don't any of you hear that?"

His friends all shook their heads, nonplussed.

Anakin had to admit that he had, but he didn't comment.

At last, Luke seemed calmed, and they reached the school. Anakin followed the students back to their classroom and helped with tidying the classroom.

When the bell rang, he went over to Luke, making as if he had stayed to drive his son home, not to make sure he went to cheerleading. As the class moved towards the door in a mob the PA turned on, "Luke Skywalker to the gym for cheerleading practice, Luke Skywalker to the gym."

The class turned as one to stare at Luke, who looked very much as if he wanted to sink into the floor.

Then he looked up sharply, turning to Anakin, "I _told_ you I kept hearing my name! How long have they been making that announcement?"

The class resumed their mad rush for the door. Anakin thought he saw one of Luke's friends struggling to get to them, but she was brushed away by the tide of students.

Luke was making a conscious effort to sink through the floor.

"Come on, Luke. The damage has been done."

"No."

"Luke, we've been talking about this for hours now. You have to go."

Luke's head snapped up again, "Yeah, I have to go, I'm not debating that. But I will _not_ be escorted by my father! I'll go, I swear, just don't follow me! This is embarrassing enough as it is."

Anakin considered following him anyway. He wasn't absolutely certain Luke wouldn't slip away if given the chance. But, he supposed, the boy deserved the benefit of the doubt, "All right, Luke. I'll pick you up when it's over."

The announcement came over the PA system again and Luke flinched.

"And to think you said he wasn't trying to embarrass me to death."

Anakin took Luke's backpack and gently pushed him out of the classroom. The boy began to walk away, shoulders hunched. Then he paused for a moment and drew himself upright, continuing and putting a bit of a spring in his step.

_That's a good survival technique_, Anakin thought, _don't let them see you're scared._

He drove himself home to find Obi-Wan sharing tea with Padmé.

"I came by to see if Luke went to practice," Obi-Wan explained.

"He went. What exactly are you trying to do by making him go?"

"I'm teaching him."

"Which would make sense if he was a Sith."

"How so?"

"He's absolutely furious."

"Ah."

"That doesn't worry you?"

"No. Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you. I'll just-," I started for my project, then remembered Luke's school project, "Do you think the Temple has anything Luke could take to school for science class?"

"What exactly does he need?"

"They're going to be having a class on using a microscope, and the class Luke missed when he ran home at break was used for finding things to look at. I thought it might make up for practice a little bit if he could bring in the most interesting thing on Monday."

"He came home at break?"

"Yes, in tears."

"Oh. Maybe I went too far this time."

"I think you did. And I think he would agree with me. Four announcements? Really?"

"Well, yes. I wanted to be absolutely certain he'd go."

"You succeeded in that, and in addition I think he might never forgive you. I'm going to go to the Temple and find some interesting things for him to take in."

Obi-Wan nodded, and Anakin left once more. The Temple archives directed him to one of the gardens, and Anakin was able to enlist the help of a Padawan learner of around Luke's age. The Padawan was able to help him find many interesting rocks, some leaves, and about fifty bugs, which they carefully trapped in a container Anakin had brought.

"Thank you," Anakin said, loading the rocks into his pack and putting the fragile leaves into another container.

The Padawan was looking at the bugs, "Poor bugs. They're gonna kill them."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot that they'd have to be still. Well, that's not really fair to the bugs. Do you want the honours of letting them go?"

The Padawan nodded and released the bugs back into the air. Anakin watched as they flew away.

"I'll see you around the Temple," he said, turning to leave.

"Bye!"

Anakin returned home and put the pack on the ground beside the table, "I found a Padawan, who helped me get some things that Luke will be interested in."

"Excellent."

The door opened, and Anakin turned to ask Luke how practice had been, but it was Leia. She was covered in bruises, and there were traces of blood on her upper lip, as if she'd been punched.

"David said that the Senate is overrated," she said, by way of an explanation.

"Leia, why can't you stay out of fights?" Padmé asked with gentle disapproving.

"Hey, at least I didn't start this one."

"Who did, might I ask?" Obi-Wan said.

"Jane."

"The mouse?" Anakin asked before he could stop himself.

The adults looked at him angrily, Leia laughed, "You've never seen her when she's mad, have you? I had my back to David, she's the one who gave me these bruises. I was just trying to shove them apart, and I thought it best that I have my back to the less passionate of the two. She didn't mean to hit me."

"Come along," Padmé said, standing, "I'll patch you up. Which reminds me, we need a few more first aid kits. The old ones are almost used up."

Anakin nodded and Padmé shepherded Leia out of the room while Obi-Wan looked on, and Anakin picked his project back up and began fiddling with it.

"Is that usual?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Not uncommon. She usually is the one pulling the combatants apart. Although she does occasionally start the fights."

Obi-Wan nodded hesitantly, "I'm glad I'm not training her."

Again the door opened, and Anakin looked up to find his son entering the room, smiling. The boy slung a duffle bag in the school's colours down on the table.

"It doesn't look like today was too torturous."

Luke grinned, "It wasn't. Cheerleading is _fun_."

"I'm glad to hear it. Do you think it's good practice?"

"Definitely," Luke said, "My coach wants to know if Leia can join too. He says I'm really good."

Padmé entered the room, shaking her head, "No, your sister is already involved in contact sports."

"Contact sports?" Luke asked, "But Leia's not on any team except the debate- oh, was there another fight today?"

Leia came in, trailing her mother, "Yep."

"Oh, I'm supposed to help Christine with her handsprings at some point too."

Anakin smiled, "And this morning you thought it would kill you."

"Well it will if I can't learn to turn down requests for help. Jeane needs help with cartwheels."


End file.
